Blake Wesley has already proven to be a perfect fit for the Portland Trail Blazers. Still, that doesn't necessarily mean he's the best option to have on this roster. One player who could replicate Wesley's defensive tenacity while providing Portland with an upgrade on the offensive end is New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints recently reported that Alvarado is a potential trade candidate that multiple teams have already expressed interest in.
"Multiple teams have expressed interest in Jose Alvarado through the years, and third-year guard Jordan Hawkins is a player who has yet to really solidify himself as a go-to option on the Pelicans' bench since being drafted 14th overall in 2023," Siegel writes.
Jose Alvarado brings Blake Wesley's pest defense (and an offensive upgrade)
This season, Alvarado is averaging 6.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 0.9 steals on 46/48/83 shooting splits. He's one of those pest player archetypes that you can't stand playing against but absolutely love when he's on your team. The Blazers should consider getting on the favorable side of that pendulum.
For as much as we applaud the Wesley addition, there's a reason he's already bounced around the league despite being a former first-round pick and just 22 years old. From Wesley's standpoint, Portland is the best possible landing spot to revive his career. The Blazers have a defensive identity that aligns with his athleticism and ability to harass defenders, oftentimes picking them up full court. However, Wesley's limitations come on the offensive end.
This season, he's averaging 6.0 points, 3.2 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. While those are nearly identical, if not better, counting stats than Alvarado, the difference in shooting efficiency alone would make this worth Portland acquiring an older and more expensive player (Alvarado has a $4.5 million player option for next season).
Overall, Wesley is having the best season of his young career, but he's still shooting just 20% from beyond the arc! If it weren't for Portland's defensive fit and key backcourt injuries, he'd be considered essentially unplayable. That also makes it difficult for interim head coach Tiago Splitter to find optimal rotations, considering other bench players are also non-shooters, including Kris Murray and Sidy Cissoko.
To make matters worse, Wesley is now unfortunately dealing with an injury of his own. His breakout season was put on hold after suffering a fracture in his right foot, sidelining him for an estimated eight to twelve weeks.
The Blazers' depth was previously viewed as a roster strength but has rapidly become a glaring weakness to start the season. Henderson still doesn't have a timeline to return, while Damian Lillard is expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season.
Can Portland really afford to be patient with another major injury in the backcourt? They've already proven capable of making a play-in push this season, but can only overcome so many obstacles in pursuit of that.
Depending on the asking price for Alvarado, the Blazers may be able to find both a solution and an upgrade to help address such a significant hole in their roster.